Texas Holdem: Monster Hands

A monster hand is one that is so unlikely to lose that your only worry is how to extract the most money from your foes.

We include Four of a Kind, Straight Flushes and Royal Flushes in this category.

These hands are so good, that they are simple to play.

Raise. Check-Raise. Do whatever you think will build the biggest pot.

Your focus is no longer on the cards to come or if you are beat, but how you can get people to pay you off.

Although we generally dislike slow-playing in low-limit holdem, it is an option with monster hands... if you feel that a bet will cut down the field too much at the flop, check and hope somebody catches something at the turn.

Generally, slowplaying past the turn is NOT recommended. Make people pay when they are still drawing to a hand. Plus, you never know when they might get feisty and get into a raising war. If you are passive, you will never discover these lucrative situations.

"If you turn over you cards and everybody is surprised at how strong your hand is-- You didn't bet it hard enough!"